CONGRATULATIONS to the Black History Poster and Essay Finalists!!!
The following CMIT-ES Students will be recognized and awarded during the Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation Black History Reception on March 10, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.


3rd through 5th Grade Essay Finalists:

Bryce Albury: Dr. Percy Lavon Julian - African American Chemist, Scientist and Activist!
Daden Grogen: Lonnie G. Johnson Inventor of the Super Soaker
Fatima Mosley: 'Out of This World' on Mae Carol Jemison
Cameron Taylor: Colonel Benjamin Alvin Drew, Jr.
Sydney Wynn: Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green A Notable African American Woman in STEM'

Kindergarten through 2nd Grade Poster Finalists:

Brooke Ifill: Misty Danielle Copeland
Chimdi Ikechukwu: Dr. Patricia Era Bath
Jessica Magsalin: Rosa Parks
Eben Smith: Matthew A. Cherry
Cayla Waytes: Mae C. Jemison

Mrs Respass
Principal

We send A SPECIAL THANKS TO the PTO and Mrs. Erika Kelley, Mrs. Sherise Holden, and Ms. Jessie Manual for planning, organizing, and hosting the TIGER WINTER JAM. We also send a heartfelt thanks to ALL parents that donated, decorated, volunteered and chaperoned! The students had a blast dancing to Kids Bop and eating the treats that you donated. We truly appreciate your dedication and commitment to our students and for providing such a fun celebratory event!

As we end another month and begin March, we want to thank the Black History Month Committee --- Mrs. Fryson (Chair), Ms. Marsh, Mr. Mogilski, Ms. Santiago, Mr. Scott, Mrs. Watkis, and Mrs. Weaver---- for planning and hosting our 1st Black History Month Assembly. It was a pleasure to have a debut performance from the CMIT TIGERETTES, the after school dance club and the CMIT-ES Choir. We want to give Kudos to Mrs. McCain and our 5th Grade students that wrote and performed the Black History Month skit. All student readings, songs, and performances were OUTSTANDING tributes to the African-Americans of the past and the present. We also recognize our Student Council President, Sydney Wynn and Student Council Secretary Kiyah Bryant for serving as the Mistresses of the Ceremonies.

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character -that is the goal of true education." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mrs Respass
Principal

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

Sean Caldwell, Dami Fawehinmi, Busoye Okunuga, Ralphael Oladunjoye, Aaron Stills, and Amaris Tappin were all promoted to Yellow Belt during the quarterly Martial Arts belt test conducted by Kuk Sool Instructors on Saturday February 27, 2016.

Note: CMIT Elementary is offering classes in Kuk Sool Won™, a system of Traditional Korean Martial Arts that incorporates all styles of martial arts historically taught in Korea into one systematic method of learning. Kuk Sool Won™’s foundation is built on proper etiquette and discipline. Students will learn how to effectively avoid conflict and only as a last resort how to properly defend themselves. We practice every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., working to develop a complete Martial Artist. Members will be taken through the World Kuk Sool Won™ curriculum and attention will also be placed on academic achievement.

Club members will soon prepare for the 1st US Capital Martial Arts Tournament 2016 taking place April 23, 3016 at Bowie State University.

You may sign up for this club by contacting the Club Instructor [Note: There is a monthly fee which pays for instruction, uniform, and sparring gear].

Please contact the instructor Ky Sa Nim Darren Fulmore at laurel_ksw@comcast.net or 301-509-2030 should you have any questions.

Erkan Derin
Program Coordinator

Our Spring Fundraiser using Mid-Atlantic Fundraiser will kick-off March 7, 2016 during lunch time. Students will sell gifts, kitchen items, magazines, chocolates, and more!!! Students will have two weeks to sale their items. All orders are due before Spring Break (Approximate Deadline: the week of March 21, 2016).

Benora McCain

PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers)

The PARCC tests are administered online for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in order to assess their grade level knowledge of Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. In order to introduce CMIT-ES parents to the unique assessments and requirements of students, we will host the following PARCC Nights for parents on

MARCH 16, 2016 for 3rd Grade Parents
MARCH 17, 2016 for 4th Grade Parents
MARCH 21, 2016 for 5th Grade Parents

Please check with your child's teacher for times and locations.

Mrs Respass
Principal

MARCH is Women's History Month

March 7, 2016--------------------------------------CMIT-ES Spring Fundraiser Kick-Off during LUNCH
March 7, 2016--------------------------------------3rd Quarter Progress Report Cards Released
March 7, 2016--------------------------------------PTO Sponsored Panera Bread Spirit Night (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) 3931 Town Center Blvd. Bowie, MD 20716
March 10, 2016-------------------------------------CLF Black History Month Reception 6:30 p.m. (at CLF)
March 11, 2016--------------------------------------LUNCH with the Principal for JANUARY Students of the Month - Please send students to front office at 10:30 a.m.
March 16, 2016-------------------------------------PTO Sponsored Blaze Pizza Spirit Night (3 p.m. - 6 p.m.) Laurel Towne Center 14708 Baltimore Ave, Laurel MD, 20707
March 16, 2016-------------------------------------PARCC Night for 3rd Grade Parents
March 17, 2016-------------------------------------PARCC Night for 4th Grade Parents
March 18, 2016-------------------------------------SLO RESULTS DUE in Teachscape
March 21, 2016-------------------------------------PARCC Night for 5th Grade Parents
March 23, 2016-------------------------------------3rd Quarter Ends
March 24, 2016-------------------------------------Schools Closed for Students
March 24, 2016-------------------------------------Schools & Offices Closed for Good Friday
March 28, 2016-------------------------------------Schools & Offices Closed for Easter
March 29, 2016 through April 4, 2016-----------Schools Closed for Students & Teachers for SPRING BREAK!!!

Mrs. Respass
Principal

Way to go Tigers!!!!!!!

If Zacharias Janssen saw my first and second graders, it would bring him tears of happiness. By the way, Mr. Janssen is the inventor of the microscope.

Last week, my students have learned to use the microscope. They observed butterfly wings, bacteria, cells, and blood. They enjoyed using the microscope while they were working. As CMIT Elementary School, we support technology in all grades. Just imagine! As they use microscopes properly in first grade, what they will do in the future.

Mr.Inci
Science Teacher

This week in PE, students in Grades K-3 will focus on Educational Gymnastics. We will focus on basic tumbling and balance skills.

Students in Grades 4-5 will also focus on Educational Gymnastics. They will work towards using the basic tumbling and balance skills to create their own routine.

Safety Reminder: Please send your child to school with tennis shoes/sneakers on their PE days. Students without tennis shoes/sneakers will not be allowed to participate in class. A loss of participation points will have a negative impact on a student's grade.

Thank you for your support.

Mr. Hatcher
Physical Education

Goooo Tigers!!!!!!!

This week was another great week with my K-2 students. The topic was animals and they built amazing creatures with play-dough. It was so fascinating to see their imagination and what they could do. Also, it was worth seeing their excitement while they were building their creations. I would like to share some masterpieces from K-2nd grade students. Please use your imagination to determine the amazing creatures' names.

Mr.Inci
Science/Ecology Teacher

Special Shout Out to all the Fifth graders who participated in our Black History performance. It was a huge success! Fifth graders will have MSA testing March 16, 2016 and March 18, 2016. Students should complete a Science Log for March. We will have a field trip on April 15, 2016, April 28, 2016, and our Camp Schmidt trip is June 2, 2016 and June 3, 2016. All parents who would like to chaperone need background check receipts (at least 14 days prior to the field trip) on file in the office. Camp Schmidt requires fingerprints.

Benora McCain

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

I am planning to kick-off a Helium Balloon Project in late April 2016 and record the city of Laurel from our Earth’s atmosphere. I am seeking PARENT VOLUNTEERS to make this project happen. We need to seek permission from the air traffic controller in Maryland. The CHESAPEAKE LIGHTHOUSE Foundation will sponsor the required materials.

if you have any experience with this project, your help will be greatly appreciated.

You may contact me via e-mail (iinci@cmitelementary.org) or phone at 240.573.7240.

Sincerely,

Mr.Inci
Science/ Ecology Teacher

Transportation: Student Drop Off /Pick Up and Early Departure
Note: The parents/guardians are responsible for the daily transportation of their child(ren). CMIT-Elementary does not provide transportation during student arrival or student dismissal. Please update the authorized person(s),including the bus company or the childcare business, that will pick up your child(ren)by submitting an email or written notice to the School Registrar, Crystal.Dubon@pgcps.org and the Principal’s Secretary, Stefanie.Powers@pgcps.org.

Q: What is the earliest that I may drop off my child?
A: 7:30 a.m.

Q: Where should we drop off students in the morning?
A: All car riders should be driven to the rear of the building and dropped off at the cafeteria entrance. Parents must remain in the car in order to keep the process constant and mobile. Carpoolers that include 3 or more students may be dropped off at the main office entrance along with the bus riders.

Q: What is the earliest time that I may pick up my student?
A: Student dismissal begins around 2:30 p.m.

Q: What is the latest time that I may pick up my student?
A: Student dismissal ends at 2:55 p.m. Otherwise, students will be sent to Enrichment and charged Enrichment late fees.

Q: Where should we pick up students in the afternoon?
A: All car riders should be picked up in the rear of the building at the cafeteria entrance. Parents must remain in the car in order to keep the process mobile. Please notice the flow of traffic and refrain from stopping in the middle of the pathway. If you need to buckle in your students we ask that you do not block the flow of pick up so that we can dismiss all students in a timely manner.

Q: What is the latest time that I may pick up my student for early departure?
A: Students should be picked up from the Main Office no later than 2:10 p.m. To expedite the process, please send an email to the classroom teacher, the receptionist, Mrs. Virgil, EVirgil@cmitelementary.org the School Registrar, Crystal.Dubon@pgcps.org and the Principal’s Secretary Stefanie.Powers@pgcps.org or submit a handwritten note in order to expedite the process. No advanced notice is needed.

Q: What is the process for walkers?
A: CMIT-Elementary does not recognize walkers since there are no residences within walking distance. Please call the Main Office at 240.573.7240 if you have unique circumstances relevant to the pick up of your child. Please consider that CMIT-Elementary does have a student body of 450 and we are unable to accommodate 450 different unique circumstances.

Uniform Policy
Q: How do I order uniforms?
A: All uniform shirts and tops are handled by the Abstractees. Please call 410.360.1527. All khaki or navy uniform bottoms may be purchased at any retail store that sells uniform pants, shorts (except cargo pants), skorts, etc. Full dresses are not allowed for females. The CMIT-ES logo must show during the school day. The website for Abstractees is http://cmit.abstracttees.com.

Q: When will the uniform policy be enforced?
A: The uniform policy will begin during the first week of school. Please ensure that students are wearing a burgundy or royal blue polo until official uniform tops are received prior to September 21, 2015.

Q: When does the student wear the Physical Education uniform?
A: Please confirm the day of the week that the students enrolled in Grades 3 – 5 will have the Physical Education class. Then, students report to school and wear the gym uniform all day. Parents may wish to send the students with wipes for sanitary purposes.

Q: Must the uniform shoe have all black?
A: Yes, the shoe worn with the uniform must be black. Students must also wear uninterrupted black during the Physical Education class. No white, no red or any color besides black should appear in the shoes.

Visitations and Volunteers
Q: How does a parent make an appointment to visit a class?
A: Please email EVirgil@cmitelementary.org to request an appointment. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response to the email. All classroom observations will be limited to 15 minutes.

Q: How does a parent volunteer for classroom assistance, chaperone of field trips, etc?
A: Please email the classroom teacher to express an interest in volunteering. The classroom teacher will contact the parent to establish a date, time, and the nature of the task(s). however, we ask that parents participate in a brief orientation sponsored by the PTO prior to volunteering. Please contact the PTO at cmitespto@gmail.com for assistance.

Parent’s Corner

Parent Teacher Conferences
Q: How is a Parent Teacher Conference scheduled?
A: Please email the classroom teacher to request a conference date. The parent will have no more than 30 minutes to meet with the teacher. The conference date scheduled by PGCPS is November 11, 2015. Any other conference requests must be scheduled with the teacher.

Parent Teacher Organization
Q: When will the Parent Teacher Organization Meet?
A: The PTO is scheduled to meet the first Thursday of the month from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. except when a holiday, school closing and/or early dismissal has been scheduled. The following dates have been designated for PTO meetings: September 3, 2015; October 8, 2015; November 5, 2015; December 3, 2015; January 7, 2016; February 4, 2016; March 3, 2016; April 7, 2016; May 5, 2016; and June 2, 2016.
Student Academic Performance

Q: How do I know if my student is missing assignments and/or homework? How do I follow up on my student’s progress in the class?
A: Please check the School Max website first. If there are further questions, call 240.573.7240 to leave the teacher a voicemail message and/or email the teacher for information on your child’s academic progress.

Q: To whom do I express my concerns about academics?
A: Please contact the teacher first. If the teacher fails to respond, then contact the Program Coordinator, ProgramCoordinator@cmitelementary.org. The next line of communication is the Trespass@cmitelementary.org.

Home Visits
Q: When will the home visits begin?
A: Parents should submit a request to the teacher. A teacher and/or staff member will contact the parent to schedule a date and time that is convenient for the parent and the CMIT Staff. Note: The home visits are scheduled during afterschool hours if you did not experience a home visit during the summer.

Student Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast/Lunch
Q: What time does breakfast begin?
A: Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. in the cafeteria. Students arriving at 7:50 a.m. or later should have breakfast prior to being dropped off.

Q: How much are the breakfast/lunch?
A:

ELEMENTARY (Kindergarten - 5)
	Daily	Weekly	Monthly
Reduced Price Breakfast	$0.30	$1.50	$6.00
Full Price Breakfast	$1.60	$8.00	$32.00
Reduced Price Lunch	$0.40	$2.00	$8.00
Full Price Lunch	$2.75	$13.75	$55.00

Q: How do I pay for the breakfast/lunch?
A:

METHODS OF PAYMENT
Cash	Send Cash payment to the school cafeteria so your child’s account can be updated.
Online Payments using a debit or credit card	Visit www.MySchoolBucks.com to set up, review, and add money to your child’s account. The account balance follows the student as long as they are enrolled in a Prince George’s County Public School.

Q: Where can I find the menu for the breakfast/lunch?
A: Please click on the link for the School Menu.